A guide through the Nordic everyday lifestyle, feelings, hopes, fears, dreams, weaknesses and ideas, written by a passionate 34-year-old city marketer from Helsinki, Finland.

The best futuristic art exhibition in Helsinki this spring: Finnish IC-98's 2016-2018

Helsinki, 22 degrees

Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it.

Outside
the sun is beautifully shining. Helsinki experienced the warmest month
of May in 30 years, they say (surprising as last year it was the
opposite - we had the coldest month of May in half a century). Now
there's even talk about a hot spell. Locals are loving
it, but a little bit afraid even to enjoy it - as we continuously doubt
that it might end any minute now. Never before has it been as topical to
therefore enter an exhibition that touches the theme of environmental
destruction.

How will the world look after humans are gone? Kunsthalle Helsinki's summer exhibition 2016-2018
that runs 'til August 5 is created by the Finnish artist duo IC-98 (Patrik
Söderlund & Visa Suonpää), and imagines a future in which the human
species is extinct, but traces of our presence on this planet still
linger. After we've gone, nature is given free reign over the planet -
kind of like before we were here - but after we've left a mark.Miltä maailma tulee näyttämään kun ihmiskunta on hävinnyt? Taidehallin kesänäyttely 2016-2018, joka jatkuu elokuun 5. päivään asti, on kotimaisen taitelijakaksikon IC-98:n (Patrik Söderlundin & Visa Suonpään) luoma.
Näyttely tuo esiin tulevaisuuden, jossa ihmiset ovat poissa, mutta
ihmisten jäljet ovat vielä näkyvissä. Kun ihmisiä ei enää ole, luonto
saa uudestaan vallan - mutta ihmisten jäljet ovat muuttaneet maailmaa,
ehkä jopa pysyvästi.I
found this exhibition extremely touching, and well made! None of us can
escape the responsiblity we humans carry for the way the world is at
the moment, and as Helsinki is such a future-oriented city (we usually
say that the city consists 1/3 of its history, 1/3 of the present moment
and 1/3 of the future), I think there couldn't be a better city
hosting this exhibition! I hope everyone visits the exhibition and stops
to think about it all - I think the exhibition needs at least 1½ hours
of its spectator to be truly understood and appreciated. I think it's
healthy for us humans to understand that it might be that the planet
outlives us. In the capitvating imagery of IC-98, it's like this. It's
important for us humans to see that the world could be beautiful also
without us - at least in the parts of the world where we haven't damaged
nature. I hope this awakens many to realize that we are just guests of
this planet, not rulers.Itse
koin näyttelyn hyvin koskettavana, ja mielestäni se on todella hyvin
toteutettu! Kukaan meistä ei voi väheksyä ihmiskunnan vastuuta
maailmastamme, ja koska Helsinki on niin tulevaisuusorientoitunut
kaupunki (puhumme usein siitä, että kaupunki koostuu 1/3 historiasta,
1/3 nykyhetkestä ja 1/3 tulevaisuudesta), niin koen, että Helsinki on
juuri oikea paikka tälle näyttelylle! Toivon, että jokainen käy
näyttelyn katsomassa ja pysähtyy hetkeksi miettimään sen teemaa.
Mielestäni näyttely vaatii kävijältään ainakin 1½ tuntia aikaa koska sen
teokset vaativat aikaa ja pohdintaa. Olen sitä mieltä, että meille
ihmisille olisi tervellista ajatella, että maailmamme elää kauemmin kuin
me itse. IC-98:n vangitsevissa töissätilanne on tämä. On
tärkeätä huomata, että maailma olisi kaunis myös ilman meitä - ainakin
niissä paikoissa, jossa emme ole tuhonneet luontoa. Toivon, että tämä
näyttely herättää monia ymmärtämään, että olemme täällä maapallomme
vieraina, ei hallitsijoina.One
of the most impressive parts of this exhibition was the extensive
research work that the artist duo behind it had done before making the
art works! Many are in fact collaborations between the artists and
scientists. How fascinating! Yksi
mieleenpainuvimmista puolista tässä näyttelyssä oli taiteilijoiden
laaja ennakkotutkimustyö teosten takana! Monet teokset perustuvatkin
taiteilijoiden ja tutkijoiden yhteistyöhön! Miten kiehtovaa!

This
exhibition doesn't have that many pieces of art, but they are, as
mentioned, time-consuming in the sense that one needs time to truly
comprehend their totality (there are among others video installations,
virtual reality visits etc.). As a flower-lover, one of my favorite
pieces was "A World in Waiting" (2017), a tapestry co-created with
Kustaa Saksi. It imagines the site where Svalbard Global Seed Vault
(such a marvellous thing that I had never heard of prior to this
exhibition!) once stod. In preparation, Arctic climate scenarios and
viable plants species were discussed with scientists from the Finnish
Meteorological Institute, Natural Resources Institute Finland and Tromso
Arctic-Alpine Botanic Garden. The tapestry showcases the plants, e.g.
Common bent, Garden angelica, Wild turnip, Wavy hair grass, Wildrye,
Foxtrail barley, Cloudberry, Potato, Dandelion, Red & White clover,
Lingonberry, Rhubarb, Redcurrant, and the seeds of the plants are
actually woven into the fabric of the tapestry. The work is in fact
waiting to rot and sprout, hence its name. This piece for me was also
one that was cautiously optimistic, giving hope for the future of the
planet - however, not saying that we humans will be around forever.

What an incredible exhibition. I actually really like that there is this dark almost haunting environment as soon as you walk in. It really gives you the opportunity to become immersed in the artwork!the-creationofbeauty.blogspot.com